Teachings: Articles

Rabbi Mendel of Satanov created a new approach to the practice called Heshbon HaNefesh, “Accounting of the Soul.” He encouraged keeping a journal on how you are doing in cultivating the following 18 attributes within yourself, and I would add, your students, children and grandchildren. After the list, are several ways to work with these concepts in your life. These are the core concepts of Mussar, one of many inspiring approaches to Jewish living.

This is an excerpt from Rabbi Brener's chapter in Seeking & Soaring: Jewish Approaches to Spiritual Direction, a Reclaiming Judaism Press volume created in honor of Rabbi Shohama Wiener in order to reveal the leading teachers, methods and value of the emerging profession of mashpia - Jewish spiritual director.

So many people come to spiritual direction after a loss. Very often their sense of God has been shattered. They may feel betrayed or abandoned by the God that may have been their bedrock in the past.

Thjs example of a Jewish Life Mentoring (hashpa'ah) session involves conflict between a Christian father and his adult Jewish son. It is shared with the permission of the individuals involved, as are all stories in this series. All names have been changed to ensure and respect privacy.

1. Focusing Invitation: “I wonder if you might take some time to sit quietly and share with me what is bothering you.”

An anxious pre-teen enters tentatively into my home for the first day of b’nai mitzvah training. We begin by chatting to learn the basics about each other. Listed below are some of the questions I ask and some of the responses I receive.

My appreciation of the Four Worlds as an approach to spiritual development, i.e., personal growth that connects us within, between and Beyond was first created through observing my teacher, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, who appears in this short clip which I discovered today during a google search. What a cool surprise. The course he mentions that took place at Isabella Freedman is also available as a retreat or Shabbaton for communities.